


Not Desperate, Just Really Lonely

by GachoGoose



Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:02:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachoGoose/pseuds/GachoGoose
Summary: THIS IS MY FIRST FIC, PLEASE BE GENTLE ;;Itachi finds Nagato on the balcony of his tower, drenched in the rain.Established relationship already.
Relationships: Nagato | Pain/Uchiha Itachi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Not Desperate, Just Really Lonely

Not Desperate, Just Really Lonely

Heavy rain was something to be expected in a village so fittingly named Amegakure: the Village Hidden by Rain. So often was life consumed by the ever-crying skies of the wartorn and landlocked village that the prospect of enjoying even a single minute of sunshine was a fool’s hope. In all his time growing up as a shinobi of Ame, Nagato had never seen the clouds part and spread rays of sunshine-- not even once. Childhood dreams were almost always filled with the hopeful day that one day- just one day- the warmth of the radiant sun would cast down and greet his pale white skin.

But dreams are only dreams, and that childlike hope of something unrealistic died like all those he’d come to love the most. His mother, father, best friend, and countless other allies from the initial Akatsuki. Such hardships and negativity had ultimately shaped the redhead into what he now was: a husk of his former self, hellbent on a sick new dream to show the rest of the world the pain and suffering his village and own self had experienced.

But despite all of the hurt, pain, anger, sadness, and any other emotion that fell under those umbrellas, something had managed to dig deep past the reclusive flesh of the Uzumaki. Past frail bones and aching body, a flicker of light and warmth had pierced his otherwise heavy heart. Comfort of another being, that was the single thread keeping whatever hope he had left intact, and Nagato was deathly afraid of even that falling victim to the dark dread and bleakness that he was evidently so good at causing, with anything and especially anyone around him.  
And so as he now found himself lying down on the partially drenched, partially dry concrete of the balcony attached to his room within the creepy and unsightly Pain’s Tower, Nagato sighed heavily. His body leaned against the wall, while looking out past the sharp metallic railing in place, the sights of other tall buildings and towers decorated the landscape. Some windows were lit, indicating the presence of villagers inside, while a majority seemed to be as dark and empty as his tower. Or so he thought.

Calm footsteps seemed to approach closer and closer, but with the heavy downpour of rain, they were easily drowned out. It was not until he saw two legs moving around his side before stopping did Nagato actually realize someone had even been in his home. Obvious curiosity getting to him, his head began to turn and look up before a gentle hand came down to rest on his shoulder. Noticing purple-colored fingernails, it was clear who it was crouching beside him.

Itachi. Itachi Uchiha, the one person who’d managed to pull at his heart strings and bring out the best in him. Already he could feel his heart stepping up its normal beating pace; the Uchiha always did a good job of making the Uzumaki feel like the 90 pound man he was, despite all the skill he possessed.

“You’re out,” his voice began, as blunt and seemingly emotionless as ever, “I hope you don’t intend to stay out all night, you will surely fall ill.”

That seemed to calm his nerves a bit, as Nagato offered a weak smile. “Falling ill with a cold would be the least of my worries. A simple fall alone could be more devastating to me.” Despite the teasing response, the reality of the situation couldn’t be any less than the truth. With his frail and weak physical body, a simple tumble could result in multiple broken bones.

“A fair point. But still I do wonder: what was your purpose in coming outside onto the balcony? I can’t imagine you wanted to watch the rain any more than you normally do.” His curiosity truly was piqued, and an interest in understanding why Nagato had decided to venture out from his bedroom all the way to the balcony to where he now sat.

“Call me crazy,” it certainly was crazy, “but I thought I could see a few rays of sunshine breaking through the dense clouds. Though as you might have guessed… such sunshine was not to be found.” His voice trailed off, sounding more defeated and disappointed than his initial neutral tone.

With jet black eyes looking down on his long red hair, Nagato would eventually turn and meet his gaze after realizing the Uchiha had fallen silent for some time. How such a simple stare could bring the Uzumaki to blush, Nagato would never know. “What is it? Why do you feel a need to stare down at me? I was just about to head back inside anyway.”

A hushed huff of doubt slid under Itachi’s lip, as his hand lifted itself from Nagato’s shoulder to instead wrap around the back of his head, resting on his other. This made the redhead flush even brighter with embarrassment, as his bright purple eyes looked anywhere but at Itachi.

“You need help.” His words were as plain and straightforward as could be, and yet the three words stung like a wasp. Of course, he certainly did not intend to embarrass the Uzumaki; Itachi knew full well how difficult it was for someone like Nagato to stand up to his feet on his own.

The redhead felt defeated at those words, and with his head slumping down to look down at his lap he nodded. “...I do. Would you… please lift me up?” He hated himself for how similar to a child he was; relying on others to help him with the most basic of adult abilities. Though even with his self-hatred, Nagato himself knew the only person to blame was himself. He alone was the cause for his decrepit state.

The arm wrapped around him moved downward a bit, resting against his back as fingers nestled against the side of his ribcage. Itachi’s other arm worked itself lower, scooping the leader of the Akatsuki off the ground. Those same dark eyes looked down at Nagato, who’d busied himself with looking anywhere but toward the Uchiha. Seeing Nagato so vulnerable and innocent allowed for a smile to break through the otherwise impenetrable expressionless lips.  
“Why do you hide your face away from me? Helping you is not in any way a burden to me, Nagato; I know that even though you are very self-reliant, the aid of someone else is oftentimes a necessity.” His choice of words seemed to be quite effective, for soon enough the skeletal Uzumaki turned his head back to meet Itachi’s face. But something else was now wrong: Nagato’s eyes glistened in the light, and a closer examination showed two streams of tears rolling down the corners of his Rinnegan.

Breath shaky and salty tears now falling off his jaw and chin, the redhead dug his hands into Itachi’s cloak in an effort to support him, as the side of his head pressed softly against his torso.

“Why are you doing this? Why… Why do you care so much? So much about me? I’m nothing; nothing more than discarded flesh and bone! Why on earth… would someone like you, of all people, choose to care for me?”

Looking down at the disheveled man clinging to his cloak like a child to its mother, Itachi opted to remain silent. It wasn’t as though he did not care about the powerful words being spoken to him, he simply felt… compelled to remain quiet. At least, for now.  
Stepping out from the cold the balcony offered, the Uchiha carried Nagato as his tears began to stain the cloth of his cloak. This level of emotion from Nagato was something not even he had experienced yet, and a part of him knew it was a side of the leader that no doubt anyone else had seen-- perhaps not even Konan. He knew he had to take this show of emotion seriously, and thankfully he had every intention of doing so as he carefully sat down on the couch inside the gloomy room of the tower.

Finding himself busy with trying to recompose himself, Nagato was surprised to feel Itachi’s palm lay down atop his head of hair. Was he… petting his hair? Like some type of lap dog? It was fitting, but oddly… strange; something quite unlike the Uchiha. Yet even as Itachi’s fingers ran through the Uzumaki’s red locks, Nagato found it calming.

His bright purple eyes shutting, a shaky hand was lifted to begin wiping away the stinging tears on his face; his lungs filling with an intake of air before exhaling. He did feel better now, a lot better. Upon opening his eyes, his breath all but lept out of him as Itachi’s face was mere inches away from his. His dark eyes unblinking, Nagato only had a moment to analyze the slight smile Itachi bore before those lips pressed warmly against his forehead.

The kiss was so brazen; so unexpected, Nagato felt as though the Rinnegan he bore might pop right out of their sockets with how wide-eyed they were. His mouth hung slightly open, and it would take nearly 10 whole long seconds after Itachi had pulled away for him to finally register what had happened. Needless to say, his blush had returned in full force.  
“Itachi… I-- you… why did you do that?” His voice was as shaky as the rest of his body now, and seeing the other man continue to offer that same smile was not helping his overall feelings. “Hah… I guess you’ve done a good job at calming me down. I apologize for that display… having someone like you treat me so kin--”

His words were cut short as an index finger pressed softly against his thin lips. Swallowing the lump of pride in his throat, Nagato would look up to Itachi as he began adjusting his posture. Maneuvering the frail man from his former position, Nagato now sat comfortably on the Uchiha’s lap. His legs were now crossed around Itachi’s back, leaving him face-level with him as hands rested on his shoulders.

“I understand how you might not be used to this level of affection and appreciation, but Nagato I need you to know that I do it because I do care. We’ve both experienced tremendous pain and suffering; our lives have been shaped in a way that has felt out of our control.” Seeing Nagato’s face told Itachi that the redhead was listening intently, and so he continued. “But despite our pasts, our paths have decided to cross. And I am forever grateful for that fate.”

The truths he was hearing, and the way Itachi stared deep into the very soul of his being, it gave Nagato a new surge of energy. His heart skipped a beat, and before he could even say anything his body was moving on its own. Cold pale fingers pressed against the back of Itachi’s head, intertwining in his smooth mane of black hair as lips crashed together.

This feeling; this emotion, it felt overwhelming and right. Feeling ice meet fire, it lit up the Uzumaki’s spirit as he felt a calming palm rub against his cheek. The moment seemed to last forever, and that was quite alright with Nagato. When they finally parted, the redhead kept his hands wrapped around Itachi’s head while the Uchiha held the Uzumaki by the waist.

“This fate… that’s one way of putting it. With how we’ve come to be, as close as we have become... it almost feels like the work of an actual God.” His words were tender and cool, as his face rested against Itachi’s chest. The cloak he wore, combined with the heat he radiated compared to himself, felt comforting; like it was a safety blanket for him to cling to.

Slowly Nagato’s eyes would grow heavy with fatigue; the sight of the rain falling outside the tower lulling him into a meditative state before the hue of purple disappeared under the canopy of his eyelids. His back rising and falling, it was obvious to Itachi that Nagato had fallen asleep in his lap, and the sight could not be any more cute.

Carefully, he’d reach behind him to grab a draped blanket to throw over the two of them, leaning more into the couch so he could keep one arm rested on Nagato’s back. Leaning down, he would plant one final kiss against the head of red hair before his own head rested against the Uzumaki’s, soon falling fast asleep with him close and snug.

END


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